Taking Back the ‘Babe’ in Bouldering Babes

Words are our most powerful means of communication, and what they mean sometimes require additional context and clarification.

When we started Bouldering Babes nearly two years ago, it certainly occurred to us that we might be misconstrued as ‘a sexy diversion from proper climbers.’

But we were so deeply entrenched in our ethos of empowering women through climbing, that we nearly forgot that misunderstanding would be inevitable.

Bouldering Babes takes back the view that ‘climb like a girl’ means anything but awesome, mighty, strong, and a force to be reckoned with.

Bouldering Babes is about owning our strength and athleticism as women climbers as much as it is our femininity; it is a play on and parody of the word ‘babe,’ which has generally been used in a diminutive and diminished way when referring to women.

We stand behind our vision in creating an encouraging space for extraordinary women to connect. That there is value in bringing together women who otherwise may not have met.